I think studies always show that attitude is very helpful in everything, including healing. Olympians are particularly dedicated people. But Olympians are essentially professional athletes looking for a reward most of us aren't going to get, so that raises a different question. Take marathoners -- the evidence is clear that it is unhealthy to engage in extreme sports such as marathons, because, while it is a great test of one's perseverance, it eats up more nutrients than the body has in it and doing it repeatedly leads to more heart disease than if you didn't do it. Climbing mountains that are very hard to climb tests us, but also kills a lot of people. So unless you are getting a reward that is commensurate with the risk, while there's no question attitude is one key to everything (and the thing lacking in those with mental illnesses such as anxiety and depression), you also don't want to overcome logic with it unless, again, there's a reward worth it for you because you're so good at it.
I'm looking at the more basic question of positive self talk when doing an athletic endeavor that is challenging for you. This is dependent on the person. For me, it's completing my boot camp class at the Y and for my son, it's stepping on the race line in track ready to run/WIN his event. Can we will ourselves to dig deep to do our best or psych ourselves out by saying "you can't do it"?
I also am reading a book that is really interesting. It talks about reserve. And that our BRAIN will say we are tired and if we listen we stop when in reality we can push harder and go further. I never ran marathons but I ran cross country. I had a coach tell me once during a grueling practice as we ran along and I was feeling at my end that I needed to ignore my brain, my legs could handle it. My brain was the problem, not my body. That stuck with me all these years (cause that was like a century ago) and this book focuses on that. That we all have a reserve and can we tap into that and use it before the end of a competition?? That's the question.
I do ask questions for younger in their prime athletes but not professional athletes. I'm not talking about the super humans. BUT, are they super human? Or just able to tap into that reserve the rest of us don't?